Slamming my green pool

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Barb55 said:
I have read on here about bringing the cya level down by adding water. I will be doing a backwash and rinse today after brushing so will have to add some water. Can I do this instead of adding more bleach to bring FC slam level from 16 to 20?
Click to expand...

To answer your question: It generally takes much more water removal and replacement then you can do with just a backwash, then water top off. It would be nice if it did move it that easily though :).

As far as the FC level increase: You may Not need to raise the FC level from 16 to 20 anyway. It will just depend on if your CYA is actually closer to the 45, or closer to the 55.

A smaller CYA range would help us be able to advice you on that part better, but for now just continue the same way and at the same level you've been running it at.

You are doing Great!!!! Then once you check the CYA again, IF the CYA reading indicates a need for increasing the FC level you can do it at that time, but there's no sense in doing it now until we are sure. I hope this helps.
 
You need to have your well water checked for metals. Some folks think they are fighting algae when in fact, it is iron or copper or something but keeping SLAMing until you pass all 3 tests because you could have both algae and metals problems.
 
Thank you for all the information and I will inquire for the closest place to have my water tested. It was tested about 30 years ago when I moved here but things can change in 30 years. I do know we were told we have the softest water in the county. I will definitely keep up the slamming, I saw the 4th step on my pool ladder today (although cloudy I could still make it out). I was wondering if it would be safe for my sister and I to swim this weekend. By swimming I mean floating on a raft for a couple of hours lol I did sanitize all the pool toys and rafts when I took them out of the green pool with a bleach and water solution. Thanks for your advice.
 
Where your numbers are right now they are in a safe zone for swimming. IF you keep your FC levels close to where they are now, AND by the weekend you can see the bottom of the pool it should be fine for you, and your sister to swim this weekend. Hopefully by the weekend it will be much clearer anyway.
The reason they say you need to see the bottom of the pool is that if someone gets in trouble and is drowning you won't be able to physically see them to be able to save them. Have a nice night. :)
 
Barb, if you decide out of curiosity to have your water tested for metals, make sure you grab water from the source (water spigot) not the pool. Once chlorine is added to water with metals, the chemical breakdown is such that the test is basically worthless. By that point (pool water), it's just best to remove any larger particles then start using a sequestrant which also helps to grab the particles and assist in filtering. If you find that your well water has metals (iron), it will always be something you have to manage unless you have completely new fresh water trucked-in. All you can do is try to filter the well water from the hose (i.e. socks or something) as it enters the pool, place matting or fibrous materials in the skimmer (i.e. paper towels, dish-rags) to help catch particles, and use a sequestrant on a regular basis. Doing all of this will also help to prevent metal staining in the pool.
 
Hello again, I have been reading through some threads on here and some from 2014 have said that while slamming you need to do your morning test before sunrise and your evening test after sunset. Is this correct? When should I do my afternoon test? I didn't realize there were specific times to do the testing while slamming. Should I also be vac at a specific time? I always do a backwash and rinse after vac and add a little water to keep the filter level correct. Thanks for your help.
 
The evening and morning test only applies at the end of the SLAM, when you check overnight chlorine loss to see if you're really done.

During the SLAM you want to check frequently (every hour or two at first, if your schedule permits), and each time replenish chlorine to get back up to your SLAM level.
 
Thank you very much for such a quick reply. I started 7 days ago and was checking every couple of hours or so, now that things are improving (cloudy instead of green) I am checking morning, afternoon and evening. The amount of bleach I am needing to add is decreasing. Hope to be done soon. Thanks again
 
Barb55 said:
Thank you very much for such a quick reply. I started 7 days ago and was checking every couple of hours or so, now that things are improving (cloudy instead of green) I am checking morning, afternoon and evening. The amount of bleach I am needing to add is decreasing. Hope to be done soon. Thanks again
Click to expand...
Sounds good - just to reiterate, until you get to the point of doing an overnight chlorine loss test (OCLT), it doesn't matter exactly what time of day you choose for your tests. The OCLT is different only because, for that particular test, you want to exclude the effect of sunlight on FC.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Good morning, I have been working my slam for 11 days and things are looking good. I decided to run all the test. My pool is no longer green or aqua or cloudy. It is blue but not clear (hope this makes sense). I did an OCLT test last night and this morning and the results are 0 oclt. My other numbers are:
cya 45-50
ph 8.2 or higher
calcium 100 (the solution never got red but was purple and turned to blue with 4 drops)
TA 260
CC 0
oclt 0
FC 17.5
TC 17.5
when I started the slam I also bought some muriatic acid that I have not used. I would appreciate any comments. Thank you, Barbara
 
Those numbers look pretty good Barb. Not concerned with pH since we know the high FC will mess that up. When the SLAM is over and FC comes back down below 10, then you can think about using acid. :) Let's watch the blue though. Hopefully it's just a matter of more filtration now. I'm not so sure how large or what type of filter you have, or how well it's able to keep-up with the dead algae, but hopefully that will begin to clear soon as well. If not, let us know. Since one of the SLAM requirements is to have clear water, I would suggest maintaining at least one more day to see if you notice any visible clarity changes in the water. Maybe try to post a pic later if you can? Very happy to hear the green is gone.
 
Just for future consideration (later), if the water doesn't seem to clear soon, there may two things we can consider:
- Adding a little DE to your filter to assist in filtering-out the organic media per Pool School - Add DE to a Sand Filter
- Make sure any potential metals from your well water aren't skewing the visibility (clarity) of the water.
It might be beneficial to keep the SLAM one more day, do one more follow-up OCLT, then we can see if any of those options are best for you. We look forward to seeing your water crystal clear, and I am sure you do as well. :) Have a great day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply